


sunshower

by blupolaris



Series: #hyunlixreigns [2]
Category: Stray Kids (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Angst with a Happy Ending, Feelings, Feels, Hwang Hyunjin is Whipped, Hwang Hyunjin is a Sweetheart, Hyunlix, I'm Bad At Tagging, Lee Felix (Stray Kids) is Whipped, Lee Felix (Stray Kids) is a Sweetheart, Lee Felix (Stray Kids)-centric, M/M, Nicknames, Strangers to Lovers, Trainee, Yang Jeongin | I.N is a Sweetheart
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-02
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 03:34:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,744
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23448619
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/blupolaris/pseuds/blupolaris
Summary: three times the sun shelters the rain, and the one time the rain shelters the sun.or felix and hyunjin meeting in their elemental states
Relationships: Hwang Hyunjin & Lee Felix, Hwang Hyunjin/Lee Felix
Series: #hyunlixreigns [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1589677
Comments: 11
Kudos: 93





	1. rain

**Author's Note:**

> they say being touched by the sun while it rains was a very lucky sign.

**》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《**

**II. Sunshower**

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

* * *

_the first time._

it's raining the first time he sees _him_.

and it's not the gentle, _drip-drop_ , kind either. it's the pounding type, raindrops beating hard against BananaBoat's glass windows.

BananaBoat being the convenience store only he, lee felix, would be destined to work at. the name itself had been questionable from the start, but his channie hyung reminded him that what should matter the most to felix was the money he would need when it was time for him to leave the orphanage. which is why he was allowed to work there in the _first_ place.

money long forgotten, felix now rubs at his eyes and asks his fellow part-timer, yang jeongin, if he was seeing what the older was. and if he didn't, felix was ready to ring up that optometrist from two blocks away, _even_ if the price of an appointment was more than his weekly paycheck.

except maybe felix shouldn't have asked the younger, as seemingly jeongin's only goal in life was to apparently tease and make fun of him.

felix is now to the point of squinting at the dark street outside, long sleeves wiping persistently at the store's glass windows, when he feels a tap on his shoulder.

"ah... excuse me, _ahjussi_? why don't you go and get your eyes checked--"

felix turned around abruptly in slight annoyance, the amusement in his eyes making up for the angry expression on his face. he picked up the broom standing next to him to and waved it at an already running away jeongin.

"yah! you!!" he playfully shouts at the boy who had dived into the gimbap aisle. "i'll get you next time!"

in return, he hears a muffled "i would like to see you try old man!" as he turns back around to look at the street across from the store.

he would have ran after that little brat any other day but aside from the dramatics, felix is sure he can clearly see a figure now... a person, dressed all in black, sitting on the street curb across from BananaBoat.

he's curious as he stares long and hard at the unmoving figure who didn't- or couldn't care for the rain beating against him. almost as if he wanted to be there in the darkness, swallowed whole and never to be seen, felix thought albeit sadly.

he gnawed at his pink lips, a bad but addicting habit he picked up from the noona at the orphanage whenever he was worried. _was it normal for a person to be out in the rain like that without any shelter? what if they got a cold?_ but-- _what if they wanted to catch a cold?_ no. no sane person would want to do that. but-- _what if they were homeless?_

as these useless thoughts wandered through his head, he didn't realize that the figure had moved until felix snapped out of his thoughts only to meet the other person's gaze. two dark orbs were now staring back at his own pair of eyes.

_shit_.

he gasps in surprise, finally realizing that the face of the black figure from across the street was looking at _him_. a face of a boy around his age.

well that did it. homeless or not, he was going to go out and save that dumb person from catching a cold.

with this in mind, he determinedly turns and walks over to the umbrella stand, picking up the ugly neon yellow umbrella in between an all-black pattern. for some reason, no one- not _one_ person in the time felix had worked at the store- had bought the bright, yellow umbrellas.

sure it was a strange looking color, but it wasn't the worst out there. in a way, he liked to think that it was _special_.

holding it high in the air, as if he were a superhero on a mission, felix wanted to try. even... if he wasn't anything _close_ to a real superhero, he wanted to try to help someone out. because his heart was really big and he was really small.

and from a young age, he had known all to well, how cruel the world actually was.

"i'll pay for this when i come back yang jeongin!"

he hears a concerning crash-- must have startled the younger with his dramatic and boisterous voice-- then a wild jeongin appears out of aisle 4, only to find felix poised with a ugly yellow umbrella at the front of the store.

"what- hyung! you can't just leave me!"

felix smirks wide and opens the door, bell ringing, the usually shrill sound covered up by the loud pitter patter of the rain outside. "there's no one here little one~" he sing songs. " _and_ the law allows me to go on a ten-minute break period."

jeongin snorts. even felix thinks it's funny and a bit ridiculous as the younger says, "you literally haven't gone on your break for the past _two years_ you worked here."

the younger huffs, a little annoyed at felix for leaving him all by himself. even if it _was_ for ten minutes.

_that baby_ , felix thinks while smiling and shaking his head. he hears a sulky "i'll be timing you hyung!" before the door fully closes shut.

opening the umbrella wide, he looks up to see the boy dressed in black, still sitting on the curb, except he wasn't looking at felix anymore. instead, the other's head was being held in between his knees, arms wrapped around him. felix frowned.

checking for cars first, although not a soul was to be seen, he hurries his way across the street, feet pounding against the wet charcoal colored concrete. he comes to a full stop in front of the boy who still doesn't notice him.

after a minute of standing in front of the boy and thinking, he finally extended his umbrella outward, stopping the rain from falling on the other and letting it soak on his only pair of BananaBoat work clothes.

the satisfaction of the other acknowledging him lasted for a few seconds until felix saw a tear stained and equally surprised face appear.

_a face full of sadness._

something in his heart pulled. he has been on the receiving end of that type of look for a very, very, _very_ long time.

the other boy was too handsome to be looking so distraught. even with wet black hair framing his young face, his eyes stood out, like piercing orbs daring anyone to defy him. he had little dark moons under his eyes, probably from sleepless nights, a well defined nose and plump red lips.

red lips that were suddenly parting, and felix snaps back to reality when the boy croaks, voice raw from probably crying so much. "y-you don't have to."

didn't have to?

the boy was _soaked_ in water. he could have caught a cold for lord's sake. who knew how long he had been sitting there before felix had noticed him? in fact, the other male might have already caught a cold.

keeping his anger at bay, felix replies gently, "no, i do _have_ to help. you need the umbrella."

when he saw that the other was still making no move to take the umbrella from his outstretched hand, felix sighed, wiping some water from his face and ignoring the persistent flow of water on him. he kneeled down in front of the other's hands which were tinting a angry red from being clenched so hard.

felix flinches at the sight, throat almost closing up as thoughts... memories that he had tried for so long to bury deep within him, surfaced at the all too familiar sight.

prying the other's fingers open, he places the handle of the yellow umbrella in one hand and closes the boy's fingers around it. the back of their left hands touch in that heat of a second, and their eyes snap up to make contact, both equally surprised.

felix thinks his heart stutters for the first time in his eighteen years of living as he quickly stands back up and stays there for a minute or two... waiting.

nothing happens.

why was he expecting something to happen? did he think lending an umbrella would solve all the world's problem and allow someone to confide their secrets so that felix could help them? _what was he thinking?_

his initial confidence chipping away at these thoughts, felix falls silent as he stands in front of the other boy.

it's only when he feels his red hair slipping onto his face, slick with water does he sniffle and realize that _he_ might catch a cold from standing there stupidly in the rain. something he just couldn't afford to do.

felix bows although the other isn't looking at him anymore and turns, running back quickly to the only building lit up on the dark streets.

he's so curious, felix thinks as he opens the door and stands there for a moment. he had helped. _but was it enough?_

jeongin, who had been timing the other's break while watching their encounter with the same curiosity, stared at felix.

the red haired male was looking back one last time at the boy on the street, face laced with confusion and pain, and the younger boy flinches at the thought of what could have caused his felix hyung to feel like that, all other thoughts of teasing, flying out the window.

though as the red haired male stepped into BananaBoat's doors, in the safety of a shelter and a worried jeongin, the yellow umbrella stood out and contrasted brightly with the dull background of the outside streets and cloudy skies, acting as if it were a light source of some sort.

-perhaps even an _indicator,_ of many changes to come.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

_the second time._

a week had passed since that encounter.

during that week, felix had found himself unconsciously glancing at the glass windows of the convenience store from time to time, especially on rainy days. he really didn't understand why he did it- but he just hoped the other was doing okay, and he had no way to find out.

when he had left the boy that day, the other hadn't really been in the happiest state... but at least they were able to stay dry for a period of time with the help of the umbrella felix had offered.

another strange occurence was that BananaBoat had suddenly become a hotspot for umbrellas ever since their encounter. apparently the day after felix had met the boy, all the black umbrellas from the store had gone out of stock. he wasn't working shift that day, but later, jeongin had exhaustedly recounted a bunch of young girls from their age to younger and even older noonas who had tired him out with their endless demanding for yellow umbrellas.

when jeongin kindly informed them that they hadn't any in stock, he was glared and got spat insults at, as if it was _his_ fault. then they proceeded to buy all the black umbrellas in stock.

felix mouth had snapped open at this information. "are you serious? they bought all the umbrellas?" this information made sense since the red haired male had to fill in orders for more umbrellas when he got to work earlier that day... " _but why_?"

jeongin snorted and shrugged. "beats me. something about their 'oppa' having the same umbrella. _crazy_ fangirls i tell you."

felix had agreed with jeongin then, thoughts rewinding back and trying to recall if anyone famous had appeared at their convenience store which was hidden between streets and alleys. customers who stopped by were usually the elderly who lived in small houses nearby on the hill. but, he cheerfully added that on the bright side, "more business and sales for us then."

so here he was, on another quiet, rainy day with jeongin, restocking the umbrella stands-- _with yellow_ umbrellas this time due to popular demand.

felix let out a soft smile. they were sort of a reminder that he was able to help someone-- or did he?

he gnawed at his lips again and fixed a hook so that the handle of an umbrella could loop perfectly around it. after the adjustment, felix turned to the empty store and walked over to jeongin who was busy finishing his schoolwork after the older had pushed him to do so, instead of playing games on his phone.

felix beamed at the sight. seeing the other diligently work on a dream he had given up on, made his heart swell with pride. jeongin was going to be a great teacher and role model for others one day. and he promised to himself that he would see to it.

the happy feeling buzzed around his head as he lovingly watched the younger until-

"stop standing there and smiling at me. you look like a creepy clown, plotting my murder or something."

and just like that, the feeling dies out.

felix frowns at the younger and scoffs. "well, maybe i am doing just _that_. if you were focusing on your work, you wouldn't have to notice me planning your demise."

jeongin smirked. "well maybe if your bright red hair didn't stand out so much and add to your clown effect, i would be focusing instead of getting distracted."

felix consciously reaches up to run a few fingers through his hair strands while biting at his lower lip and pondering over these words.

"and i can multitask you know." jeongin says, closing his eyes and shaking his head slowly as if the younger male was greatly disappointed. " _your_ _generation_ wouldn't understand."

felix levels the other with a bored gaze and deadpans, "we were literally born a few months apart."

jeongin replies something, but it falls on deaf ears as felix's gaze had already wandered around the store again only to fall on the window he's been gazing at for only the hundredth time this week, once again.

but this time-- his eyes had to be playing tricks on him. because _this_ time, he makes out a black figure that wasn't there before, now sitting on the curb of the street. again.

_did the stupid boy want to catch a cold?!_ felix thought as he sprang up from the counter he was leaning on, eyes wide, surprising both himself and jeongin. he worriedly turns to grab an umbrella again and hurries towards the door but halts when a sudden thought hits him.

_was it his place to go and help?_

what if the boy wanted to be alone and he was just being a bother? what if felix was causing more harm than good?

suddenly being a superhero didn't seem as fun as it he thought it did when he was younger. what if people didn't want to be saved?

"go."

startled, felix looked back at jeongin who was now staring intently at him and his hand that was on the door handle. his thoughts stilled.

before the older could ask, jeongin put down his pencil and folded his arms as if scolding a child. "he can't sit there all day in the rain can he hyung? he'll get sick."

felix slowly nodded, still not sure. "i'll put your name on the sheet and log you in for your break. don't worry about it."

as if reassuring himself that he could at least do that much and shelter the other from the rain like the younger suggested, he nodded his head firmly this time and stepped out the door. the loud sound of the doorbell rang again, though this time it seemed to fill up the empty streets, seeking attention.

and seek attention it did, as the boy who had been sitting on the other side of the street looked up at the sound, eyes meeting felix's.

they stared at each other for a moment.

and then removing his gaze, the red haired male slowly approached the other, feet padding slowly on the light puddles on the street, water splashing lightly as the heels of his shoes hit the concrete.

the black haired male thankfully wasn't crying this time, but his eyes looked less defiant than before and more like the fight was running out of him, his face passive. the thought scared felix for some reason.

felix finally came to a stop in front of the other, thankful for the lighter rainfall that day, and extended the yellow umbrella out again for the other to take.

"you'll catch a cold," he says as if to give a reason for him being there.

droplets of water started falling on felix again, but he didn't mind them as much as he thought he would when the black haired male on the ground took the umbrella, wordless. he didn't get a smile or a 'thank you' or anything, but he didn't mind because at least he had helped.

turning from the boy, felix got ready to walk away, but froze when he felt a hand latch onto his wrist. for a moment, he wondered if the other could feel his racing pulse under their cold fingers.

"could you... could you stay?"

he turned to look down at the male who was looking up at him, face tired, and his heart ached.

of course he would. he would do anything to get rid of that look. it didn't look good on the other's handsome face nor did it look pleasant on anyone's face for that matter.

felix nodded and moved to sit on the curb, leaving at least two feet of space between them. he observed how the other seemed much bigger when they were sitting side by side like this. when felix was standing, the other looked so small and frail, but maybe felix was just seeing things again.

he thinks he hears a snort but doesn't think much of it until he hears a slightly amused voice speak up.

"you know, you're kinda dense ketchup boy."

ketch-

ketchup boy? _who_?

felix spluttered and looked over at the black haired male sitting next to him.

"what did you just call me?"

for the first time in the encounters they had so far, felix thought he saw a hint of a smile, the corners of the other's lips slightly quirking up.

"what? _dense_? or _ketchup_ boy?"

he balked at the audacity of this stranger, mind scrambling to figure out why a person he had offered kindness to, was teasing him.

the brashness of his words reminded him of another male he happened to know-- jeongin. the two would get along well.

"i think you're the dense one, _rainy_ boy." felix shot back, slightly pleased at his comeback as all traces of amusement left the other's face.

" _rainy boy_?" the other repeats, incredulous. felix nods, proud. "it's raining whenever i see you."

the other rolled his eyes, and just like that thought their small, momentary, meaningless conversation was over. at least it had slightly lightened up the mood.

what felix had definitely not been expecting was to be dragged towards rainy boy. he felt his whole body heat up as cold fingers wrapped around his wrist once again. he lets out surprised yelp as their sides touched, body heat now radiating from only a few inches apart.

"what?" he turned to ask, heart beating erratically, but immediately flinching away as rainy boy's good looking face came near his own.

"only dense people would sit out in the rain instead of under an umbrella." as if to emphasize his point, rainy boy skillfully spins the yellow umbrella above them, creating a spiral effect on the water droplets spraying out around them.

what a hypocrite. "look who's talking. you're the one who has been dumbly sitting in the rain, day after day, asking to get sick or something. you look like a real idiot," felix scoffs, trying not to let himself get affected by their close proximity.

he only realizes how rash his words were when the other slightly stiffens beside him. felix quickly slaps his hand over his mouth, mumbling numerous apologies, all the while reprimanding himself in his head.

"no you're right."

felix stills at the other's tone of voice and removes his hand from his mouth. _i'm not right_ , he wants to say, _nothing gives me the right to judge someone i don't even know_.

but rainy boy continues, his hair now slightly dry as he sighs and tilts his head upwards, towards the yellow of the umbrella.

"i am an idiot. i'm dumb for sitting in the rain like this... but sometimes..." and he inhales, sharp.

as the other struggles to find the right words, felix feels bad for ruining the light mood that had been previously wrapped around them. he kept making things worse, felix thought sadly.

he sits, silent, and stares at the large puddle gathering around the curb and soaking his only pair of shoes. he would have to set them out to dry when he got back to the orphanage.

"sometimes, i can't find it in myself to care. it feels good to sit and get beat down by the rain. that way no one can really know if you're crying or just insane." the other continues, and it chills felix because when he glances at the other's face, he sees glassy eyes and a look that seems to be holding a lot back.

"i-" felix starts, scrambling to find the right words in his mind, but the other stops him with a finger to his mouth. his lips tingle at the finger that's placed on his mouth, and he stares at the other with a questioning look, a pink blush settling on his face.

rainy boy removes his finger suddenly and places it back to himself and felix dumbly finds himself missing it. the other grips the umbrella handle tight and says, "can i?"

felix tilts his head in confusion. "i know we don't know each other and you're just another stranger, and maybe that's why i want to do this, but..."

"can you just let it all out?" felix finishes, finally understanding why the other was so tense and uptight. but if that is what would help the other and help him feel a little better, he had ears to listen. the other nods in affirmation, looking a little ashamed.

"of course. i'll listen."

and so the other shakily places his hands on the concrete sidewalk underneath them, while felix takes the umbrella and shelters them both. when they both settled as comfortably as they could on the hard surface, rainy boy begins.

"there are days... or times when i wonder if i'm doing enough. am i good enough?" already a few words in and felix so badly wants to say 'yes' although he doesn't know anything about the other. but he promised he would just listen, so he keeps silent. and it was like the other had already forgotten felix was there as the words kept tumbling out of his mouth, like a river that was finally starting to flow after a long period of drought.

"when these 'enough' questions start surfacing... you start questioning everything. why am i even doing this? _why_ am i here? why are there people that have things come so easily to them? why can't _i_ be like them? _why_ do they have to keep bothering me? why do they keep seeking me out? finding my every _flaw_ , and keep trying to drag me down for it--" and rainy boy's voice raises towards the end of this before his voice cracks. "why?"

felix's heart drops and he could hear the other choking up, so he does the only act of comfort he could think of without being too invasive, and places his hand, lightly on the other's hand, not looking up at him.

this seems to calm the other slightly and rainy boy continues. felix thinks he might be listening on to more than he should, but the other also looked like he desperately needed an outlet.

he begins again, voice now taking on a slightly bitter tone. "i'm-" he stops himself, for the first time glancing at felix as if carefully wording what he was about to say. "i train at this company... but it feels like the only reason i'm there is because of my looks. i love performing and more than anything, i love dancing. that's why i agreed to join the company in the first place. i didn't think the lifestyle would suit me at first and neither did my parents, but if there's one thing i love-- it's dancing, so i thought this was the only way i could reach my dreams-"

"-but now i don't feel any happiness or satisfaction after performing a dance routine like i thought i would. and the people there-- god, the people there. some are nice, but some of them." his fist clenches.

"no matter how hard i practice, how different i do a move, how much i listen to my dance seonsaengnim- nothing. they tell me i suck at what i do and that i don't even need to work hard because my looks do it all. all i am is a 'pretty' face and nothing more. my skills don't matter."

felix hand slips away from the other as he processes the last two sentences, a tear slipping out at those words. it hurt. because he too had once been told the same things.

-

" _eomma_ , _eomma_ _! where_ _are you going?"_

 _a little boy with shaggy black hair that looked like it hadn't been taken care of for months stood, confused. brown dirt decorated his clothes and face, covering up the little dots that_ _scattered his cheeks._

_a woman dressed in fake expensive clothes, who had only reached a few feet away from her son, turned around distastefully._

_"i'm not your_ _eomma_ _! shut up little rascal and stay there." she eyes the boy for a minute before saying, "go in. i won't be coming back for you."_

_the little boy felt his heart break at this. "why?" anger fills up his mind, refusing to believe his mother would leave him. "why are you leaving me?"_

_the woman sighs as if exasperated, " because you're of no help to me! you're just a pretty little face and nothing more!"_

-

just a pretty little face and nothing more.

the back of felix's eyes stung as tears flooded in, coating the brown with a glossy layer. he hadn't realized the other had gone silent and until he hears, "ketchup?"

and oh. he wants to so badly snort at that, but he can't, because he feels like he's going to explode if he moves or anything.

"are you..." rainy boy starts hesitantly.

"no." his deep voice surprises them both, although for two different reasons. felix doesn't feel put together, but his voice was still normal so he continues, looking straight into the other's eyes.

"i know i said would listen, but i want to say something." the other nods slowly, his eyes are curious as he stares back at the suddenly teary red haired boy sitting in front of him, mirroring his own expression.

"people- people do that. okay? they judge you for what you are on the outside and never what's on the inside. it's like their first natural response as humans, and some people can move past that to actually appreciate that we're all just here to live our lives. but others can't. like those pricks who keep trying to bring you down. and i might be stating the obvious rainy boy"-- the odd nickname coming out as a blubbery mess-- "but i need you to really listen to me. this is your dream and your life. nobody knows what you want better than you, and those who tell you otherwise can buzz off. you were already so brave to chase your own dreams. so, don't listen to them."

felix stares at him hard, trying to convey the message. "zone them out. just like you might zone out people when watching a television show or how you might zone out in a class when the teacher is lecturing. zone out those people who don't know you and say crap about you. because you're more than what's on the outside. you're what's on the outside and the _inside._ you're working hard, and those who bother others are obviously not."

his tears were now almost gone from his eyes, and he continued softly, "next time, i want you to chin up and zone out. it might be difficult, but try. don't fight or drag yourself to their level. just be in your own area and thrive in it. because it's your life. not theirs."

felix looks away from the other's face now, slightly embarrassed that he had said all of that although he meant every word.

silence envelops them and the red haired boy looks back at the convenience store only to see jeongin waving at him frantically.

he sits up straight, almost knocking over the yellow umbrella above them. they didn't need it anyways as the rain seemed to have subsided, the skies now just a cloudy grey.

felix squints his watery eyes into the store to see the person next to jeogin-- _the manager_. shit. he worriedly stands up, and the taller, black haired male, has to quickly snatch the umbrella before it fell into the puddle in front of them.

"ketchup?"

felix looks down at him and tries to offer a smile, although it probably turns out wobbly. "sorry, i have to go... my manager's at the store."

and with that felix turns and starts sprinting across the street, but halfway through a realization hits him. he turns and sort of shouts, "chin up, rainy boy!", face as red as his hair before running the rest of the way and entering the store.

hyunjin wasn't any better, sitting on the curb, dazed as he worriedly stared at the other boy walking into the store with an odd name called 'BananaBoat'. he clenched his hands around the yellow umbrella he received today and the first one that he received which was hiding behind his back.

the fight had returned in his eyes, and with it a new interest in the red haired male with dots that danced on his cheeks and a voice so deep, it should have been scary, but only made his heart beat faster.

hwang hyunjin was curious.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

* * *


	2. on

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

* * *

_the third time._

"alright! start again. from the top."

as soon as this dictation from the dance teacher reached the ears of the twelve trainees in the room, they outwardly groaned in exasperation, already feeling beat from the choreography of a male idol group's latest hit song, _one_ too many times.

hyunjin being the only exception out of the boys who lately didn't want to take anything for granted. there was a rekindled fire in him to practice harder, _fight_ harder, and give his all for the opportunity that was given to him- a blessing some people didn't have.

and _if_ some of that fire was kindled by a certain red haired boy who worked at a convenience store with a strange name, no one had to know.

so he ignored the rest of the boys, not being close enough friends with any of them, and stood up from where he had been resting on the ground to begin working on a few stretches. their dance teacher excused himself for a phone call, stepping out for a bit.

and then the loser and his cronies were back at it again."oh-ho, look who thinks he's a big shot with his good looks and all." _why was the guy so random, honestly_ , hyunjin thought.

byungho pauses, then from hyunjin's peripheral vision, he sees him nudging the guy next to him and whispering loudly as if telling a secret _that he wanted hyunjin_ to hear. "you know from this angle, he doesn't even look all that great. the female trainees and staff keep going on and on about his looks- but... i _really_ don't see it."

hyunjin scoffed on the inside. try harder _scumbag_. a blow on his looks didn't hurt him one bit. he wanted to bring up that _someone_ obviously had insecurities of their own, but because his mother taught him to be well-mannered, he was going to keep his mouth shut.

finishing his right arm stretches, hyunjin moved on to his left arm, trying to loosen up his joints as much as he could. maybe he should dance more in the practice room on days that he had off.

seeing how hyunjin was ignoring him, byungho spat out another comment, one that he hoped would hit closer to home. "if only his dancing matched up to his handsome face."

and _hit_ it did, but hyunjin didn't let it show and instead grit down on his teeth. he slightly turned away from the boys only to make eye contact with a smirking byungho through the mirror. _hold your gaze hyunjin_. don't let it get to you.

regardless of these thoughts, hyunjin looks away in annoyance, ears slightly red.

thankfully, the dance teacher walks into the room right then, preventing any other 'small' talk from happening.

"change of plans." hyunjin tilts his head in question. "i realized the problem here is that i can't see what you're individually having problems with, so right now we'll all sit in a circle and have each person, one by one, come out and do the dance _solo_ so i can judge and give you pointers properly."

even if they didn't like it, not one person said a word for fear of being kicked out, and made their way to sit in a circle formation on the floor around the teacher with hyunjin sitting at the center, right across from their seonsaengnim.

one by one, the boys were called and watched as they did a certain part of the choreography, their dance teacher giving constructive criticism at the end.

then byungho was called, and hyunjin watched the boy stand up. if he hadn't looked closer and observed the boy with intent, he would have missed the way the other's leg or hand trembled as he moved forward into the middle of the circle. _byungho_ _must be nervous,_ he thinks.

well _of course_ he was. it was only natural to be... but the problem with the other was that he made it seem like being nervous was weak and the worst asset one could have.

"i'll just do the chorus part, seonsaengnim." he bows.

the dance teacher agrees and hits his thumb on his phone. "whenever you're ready."

hyunjin also thinks that no matter how much he hates the guy, byungho is a good dancer. a darn good one at that.

his expression needed to be worked on, but other than that, the other's movements were clean and recognizable. everything went well until at the very end where there was a slight turning movement in the air that was supposed to look like a 45 degree angle spin, but byungho tripped while doing it.

that would have been fine really, if the guy next to him (who was supposedly byungho's friend) hadn't snickered out loud in the silence that followed as the music died out. hyunjin thinks about giving the guy a hard nudge, but under the watchful gaze of the teacher, he sits still.

byungho snaps his head towards the back where hyunjin sat, and hyunjin could already see the guy thinking that _he_ was the one who laughed at him. who else would right? then the guy he picks on?

the expression byungho musters is nasty, hyunjin thinks with a grimace. he looks away as their teacher scolds the other for tripping on the last portion of the dance, but byungho didn't seem to be paying any attention.

"if you think it's so _funny_ hwang hyunjin, i would like you to go next. let's see how much better you are than me with your _lousy_ dancing skills."

hyunjin felt his head becoming hot with anger as the other continued, "if i were you, i would quit chasing your dumb dream and sit outside of a convenience store to model yourself and raise funds for something worthwhile."

and _that_. _that_ was the _last_ straw.

hyunjin stood up to give the guy a nice swing with his right hook but paused because the dance teacher raises his hand and says, "that's enough byungho. sit down. _hyunjin_ , since you're already standing, you're going next."

hyunjin felt his head spin, his thoughts being eaten up by the other's words. shakily, he makes his way to the middle of the circle, feeling everyone's judgmental gazes on him. _'lousy acting skills', 'sit outside a convenience store', 'model yourself'._

all these words kept getting louder in his ears until he felt like the practice room was starting to spin along with his head. but then he hears his name "hyunjin" from the dance teacher and all those words are thrown out of his head.

then another voice- a soothing new one that he recently got acquainted with. "chin _up_ rainy boy. keep your head up and _don't listen_ to anybody who tries to take you down. _thrive_ in your own area."

a foreign feeling of calmness washes over him, settling into his jittery nerves, as the deep voice played back in his head. a person that he barely knew, believed in him, and that was enough for him.

he comes into focus with the dance practice room, and without looking at the teacher, he stared back at his determined reflection in the mirror and says, "i'll go for the whole routine." everyone stares. someone whispers and the teacher replies with something that hyunjin doesn't hear as the music begins to play.

drawing from energy and passion he didn't know he had in him, he danced to the beat of the song, feeling the music come alive in his body. like it literally felt as it the music was in him, thrumming through his fingers, up into his arms, and into his blood. from there it spread to his legs and feet, and hyunjin felt- well, he felt _alive_.

finally as the song ended, he came to a heavy ending pose. he was highly out of breath, but hyunjin still felt good. knowing that even though he had made a few minor mistakes and most likely missed out on a few pointers, he had finally understood ketchup boy's words.

_thrive in your own area_. keep doing what you love for _yourself_ , not for others.

before the teacher began his commentary, hyunjin turns to acknowledge byungho who looked slightly dazed as everyone else did and said, "if there's one thing i won't allow someone to tell me, it's to _quit_ my dream. you can say whatever else you want, but this is _my_ dream and no one has a say for it but me. and i will fight for it. so you should try focusing on your own dream instead of worrying about others. i hope you will be able to do it."

after that, practice finished sooner than expected, and hyunjin saw byungho hesitating as the rest of the male trainees left. he stayed behind but left in the end. hyunjin ignored the other, not expecting nor wanting any form of apology. he said what he said, and he had meant _every_ word of it.

for the first time in a very long while, walking out of the building felt good. it was still dark, dreary, and rainy as it usually was on a summer day and when the wet season was coming in full force, but hyunjin felt like his spirits and mood couldn't be any lighter. the realization he had in the practice room was giving his depressed ass a lot of strength he didn't know he needed.

the slight drizzle started to pour harder as if not caring that hyunjin was feeling happier today then most days. so he reached into his duffle bag and pulled out a familiar yellow umbrella.

instantly, he gets reminded of a certain freckled boy. he smiles softly at the thought of how the other was so concerned for him, enough to shelter him from the rain, _two_ times.

wait. why was he thinking of ketchup boy? _again_?

hyunjin's cheeks flushed as his thoughts wandered over to how often the boy had been on his thoughts lately. he wonders if the other thought about him as well.

_silly_ hyunjin. the guy _barely_ even knows you, he thinks right after, reprimanding himself.

without even realizing it, the black haired male had stopped at a familiar curb, and when he looked up, he finds himself standing right across BananaBoat.

the yellow neon lights flashed at him in the dark, empty street. he stood there kind of amazed and stunned at the fact that, without thinking, his feet had led him over to the very store ketchup boy worked in. 

whatever the reason was that led hyunjin there, at least this time he wasn't crying. rather than being sad, there was a thrumming feeling of thrill coursing through him as he wondered if the other would come out again with an yellow umbrella, feeling worried about _him_.

so like the dumbass he was, hyunjin stood waiting. and waiting, and waiting.

like that, ten minutes passed, his black hair now soaking wet, clothes sticking to his body.

_maybe ketchup wasn't coming out because of the standing pose he was in right now? maybe it didn't look recognizable?_

so instead of standing, he sits. and waits again.

he takes notice of a familiar boy at the cash register, but it's not ketchup. said boy seemed to be really immersed on his phone. the rain poured a little harder, and another ten minutes fly by.

it was only after sitting in the rain for a total of thirty minutes (yes, he had been timing), that hyunjin felt the beginnings of a sore itch tingling up his throat.

he finally realizes that ketchup might not even be working shift at the store that day, and the sane thing that he should have done was to go in the store and ask for him.

_way to go hyunjin, you dummy_ , he thinks. sighing, he gets up, a little sulky about getting wet for no reason. his efforts were all in vain. 

as if the universe was trying to play a joke on him, a familiar bell sounds in the street.

his head shoots up fast, a smile already playing on his face, but _no_. it's not the red haired, freckled, ketchup boy. it's the boy at the cash register- looking... _looking_ slightly pissed? but why?

"HEY STUPID!"

stupid? hyunjin abruptly stood up. he was not going to let himself get insulted by someone who didn't even know him. he opens his mouth to say something back, but the other yells again, "GET IN HERE."

"HOW DARE YOU-" he starts yelling in response before he realizes he should maybe use this chance to at least ask about ketchup. the other might know him since they worked in the same store after all.

begrudgingly, he picks up his wet black duffel bag and two big yellow umbrellas and begins walking towards the convenience store.

the cashier boy hurriedly rushes him, muttering about rain, dirtying the floors he had mopped earlier, and cursing at him for leaving dirty tracks with his shoes. the door closes with a loud slam behind him.

hyunjin stands in front of the door, staring in awe at the fluorescent white bars of light on the ceiling and the racks of snacks and other go-to foods and essentials.

so _this_ is where ketchup boy worked in.

maybe some crack was slipped in his coffee earlier in the morning, but BananaBoat was radiating beautiful energy right now.

"kid, don't tell me you've never been in a convenience store before?"

he scowls at that, remembering that there was a rude person next to him. he turns to see a boy that had a fresh and cute face, with large eyes and a wide smile. he looked kind of like a... fox?

well, fox or not, the boy was definitely younger than hyunjin if the school clothes were anything to go by.

"that's hyung to you-- _kid_." hyunjin spat back, trying to sound intimidating, but his teeth started chattering a minute after as the cold settled in.

the shorter boy rolls his eyes and leaves him, muttering something that sounded a lot like, "this better not be the boy who felix hyung was talking about."

_who's felix?_ hyunjin thinks.

the fox boy goes back to the register and starts playing a game on his phone again, leaving hyunjin to stand and freeze. _really_ , there was no difference from standing outside in the rain. he should have just stayed outside if he was being that inconvenient to the brat.

"you would be a lot better if you were just nicer, you know." hyunjin starts, feeling that he should lecture the kid and teach him a lesson, before leaving. "you have a cute face and all but-"

"who has a cute face?"

hyunjin freezes at the deep voice, turning to see the cutest boy on the planet (who hadn't noticed him yet) walking towards the cash register boy.

"jeongin-- _who_ has a cute--" but then ketchup boy looks sideways and sees hyunjin. "-face..."

the other gasps outloud, lips parting in surprise and eyes widened as he takes in the taller's appearance at the front of the store.

and _what a sight_ he must have been, standing there with water dripping off his flattened long hair and sticky clothes, along with a duffle bag and yellow umbrellas.

" _rainy_ boy?" felix says, as if not believing that hyunjin was real.

the bewilderment lasts for only a few minutes until felix curses at hyunjin, calling him a pabo ( _idiot_ ). then the red haired boy runs to the back of the store, muttering something about towels.

the boy named jeongin, smirks up at him from his place at the cash register.

hyunjin doesn't know what to think. he really wasn't expecting to see ketchup boy today. there was a difference between hoping to see him and _actually_ seeing the guy who's been on his mind a lot lately, for reasons unknown.

felix comes back in a hurry and surprises hyunjin into dropping his duffel bag and umbrellas onto the floor. they clattered onto the white tiles, but the red haired, freckled boy, paid them no mind and instead grabbed the taller's head and started wiping and rubbing at his hair.

hyunjin's cheeks warmed as he felt the smaller's fingers graze the side of his face.

when ketchup boy finally thinks his hair is dry enough, the shorter male pulls away, leaving them to stare at each other's faces.

"how _long_ were you out there?" the other says, sounding a bit angry at hyunjin.

before he gets a chance to answer though, jeongin cuts in, "hyung, you will not _believe_ this dude. i first saw him when he came across the store, and i thought he was just passing by... but then i look back twenty minutes later and see him still _just standing there_ in the rain." 

felix glares at jeongin then, and hyunjin smirks a little feeling relieved to see the shorter male's anger directed to the boy at the cash register, instead of him.

jeongin continues, unaware of the death glare being shot at him, "and then i let him stand there for ten more minutes because he looked so _dumb_ -"

"wait, yang jeongin. you _saw_ him? and you just _let_ him stand out there?" felix's voice raised. 

the other flinched and responded, "well. it's not like it's _my_ fault. no sane person would sit out there in the rain like that."

"well _yes_ , it's a given that rainy boy isn't sane-" hyunjin blinks in offense. "-but i thought you at least were."

felix turns back to look at hyunjin. "hey don't look so down."

hearing those words, hyunjin makes the mistake of looking down, right at the yellow umbrellas at his feet. jeongin's and felix's gazes follow.

there are dramatic gasps that follow, and jeongin comes out from behind the cash register.

"wait, wait. those are BananaBoat's umbrellas. lix hyung, didn't you give these to _that_ boy?" the fox boy's eyes widen and flit up to hyunjin in recognition.

hyunjin thinks if there's a god, he should be kind and let hyunjin sacrifice himself right now or else he would die in a few seconds from the death glare ketchup boy was shooting at him.

"sit down rainy boy." the other says in a deep voice, pointing towards the small table at the store.

ketchup boy looked like he was trying to be intimidating, but hyunjin just thought the other looked cute. nevertheless, he listened and sat down at the table, not wanting to anger the red-haired boy any further.

a small part of hyunjin was satisfied and feeling giddy that he had the other's attention.

"jeongin, go dry his stuff."

"me? why _me_? am i a slave?"

felix gives the other boy a look.

"i'm not a slave." he defiantly says back.

"i'll bake you those brownies."

hyunjin's eyebrows raise as jeongin's face lights up in a scary smile. 

"i will gladly dry these belongings that aren't even _mine_."

felix rolls his eyes at the other's over-exaggeration and goes to sit in front of hyunjin as jeongin goes to the backroom.

"so... brownies, huh? what do you put in them?"

ketchup boy stares long and hard at him deciding if he was serious or not before he responds, "not the point." a pause. "i can't believe you though. are you trying to get yourself sick?"

"well...no."

"then why-"

hyunjin stops the other. "why are you so worried about me? i'm just a stranger... someone you don't even _know_." it was a test. hyunjin wanted to see what the other thought of him.

it might have just been a trick of the light, but hyunjin thinks he sees the other's eyes flit away in embarrassment for a split second.

"it's in my nature to be caring about others... and also because i decided that you were not doing okay if you kept sitting out in the rain like that... waiting for me, to save you."

hyunjin's lips tilt up at that.

"i think you just insulted me two times in one sentence ketchup boy."

the dancer thinks he should joke more often because the giggles that reach his ear right after were beautiful.

ketchup boy smiles and says, "is that a problem rainy boy?"

the lighthearted atmosphere is broken as jeongin enters back in their little sphere. "are you all doing okay in the head?"

felix tilts his head in slight confusion at the other. 

"why do you keep calling each other names that were probably given in pre-historic times when names weren't even a thing"

seeing both boys look away in shame, had jeongin come to a realization. he gaped in amazement for a few seconds before losing it.

felix and hyunjin watched, unamused, as the other gasped for air through one lung, his one hand on the table and the other on his heart.

"y-you" _a cough_. "guys don't kn-know" _some wheezing_. "each others' names--"

jeongin collapses, and hyunjin almost goes to help the boy but catches felix's eyes in time as the other shakes his head 'no'.

"just leave it." the freckled boy mouths. 

when the younger kid finally pulls himself together, they were sitting with hot and steaming ramen in front of them (courtesy of BananaBoat's fantastic microwave appliances).

"spending a lot of time with _han jisung_ , are we?"

the way the other scolded jeongin had hyunjin thinking back to what the red haired boy said about it being in his nature to care about others.

just by knowing only this much of ketchup boy, he could tell how seriously he cared for the others. it was honestly adorable and made his heart swell with feelings for the freckled boy in front of him. he really wanted to get to know more of him.

jeongin eyes widen, and he blushes at the mention of this 'han jisung' guy, raising hyunjin's eyebrows for the fiftieth time of that day.

but apparently the little boy also had come backs up his sleeve because he retorts, " i wouldn't talk _lix hyung_. you don't even know the real name of the boy sitting in front of you, also known as the boy you've been rambling about for weeks-" 

felix steps on the other's toes with a little exerted force causing the other to stop talking and yell out in pain. ketchup boy looks at hyunjin quickly before looking away.

"jeongin was talking about another boy, _weren't you innie_?"

hyunjin felt his heart twist a little.

jealousy? -- _no_. there's no way.

"pft there is no other b- OW!" another yelp came from jeongin.

hyunjin finally decides that if he wanted to get to know more about the ray of sunshine in front of him, he would have to at least know the boy's name first.

"you are... felix? right?" hyunjin pronounces the name with care, not wanting to mess up the delightful word that came out of his mouth.

_sure_ it was nothing to get all flustered about, but when a cute boy says your name like that, felix couldn't really help but allow the pink blush to settle in his cheeks. "yes, my name's lee felix. and you are?"

lee felix. felix lee. _either way, it was pretty,_ hyunjin thinks. _just like the owner of the name._

"i'm hwang hyunjin. nice to meet you."

they simultaneously blush, staring at each other, and jeongin really found it to be a gruesome sight to see, so he interrupts. "finally, _yeesh_. anyways - rainy boy" he says this turning to face hyunjin who gives him a light glare.

"don't call me-"

" _pray do tell_ \- why do you have umbrellas if you're not going to _use_ them when it's raining."

_easy_. he wanted ketchup boy's--- no _felix's_ attention.

but instead he says, "because they're not mine, and i wanted to return them."

felix blinks in surprise, "oh hyunjin-" he blushes and corrects himself, "uh, um hyunjin hyung-"

"you can just call me hyunjin" jeongin rolls his eyes again at that, and for some reason, hyunjin was suddenly itching to start a fight.

good manners hyunjin. _good manners._

"hyunjin" felix says again for the third time, and hyunjin thinks he could really never get tired of hearing his name coming from the other's voice.

"you could use those umbrellas- they're all yours. i paid for them already."

jeongin snaps his fingers as a sudden thought hits him. he points an finger at hyunjin, "you're that oppa aren't you?! no one else has ever bought these umbrellas, and you're the only one who has them."

he brings his finger down, seeming a little more reluctant to say his next words. "i guess we should thank you for helping to bring BananaBoat's sales up."

_i did?_ hyunjin's mind tries to catch up as he processes the words of the younger boy. _oppa_ _?_

the dancer glances nervously at a confused felix before deciding that telling the truth would be the best at this point.

"so remember how i said i train at this company? well i'm training to be a part of a boy group that might debut around next year... and i'm guessing our fans came after spotting me with the umbrella. i apologize if there was any inconvenience."

"oh no!" jeongin vigorously shook his head. "don't be sorry. feel free to walk around with more of BananaBoat's merchandise, especially those umbrellas. we honestly need the revenue, but uh... please tame your fans a little..." he finishes off quietly with a small "hyung."

hyunjin's eyebrow raises at the other's mood change towards him.

he looks to see felix's reaction, whose face was unreadable now. he didn't look happy or sad at the news about hyunjin, and instead, the other just seemed apprehensive.

as if noticing the other's stare on him, felix immediately brightened up ( _a little too fast to be considered normal_ , hyunjin noted).

"oh that's really cool! how is your training these days?"

hyunjin thought about what had happened earlier that day and smiled, "it's going better now because you helped me realize my dream again...felix."

the red haired boy really wanted to blush at that, but he held his feelings down and instead gave a tight smile to the dancer and replied, "i'm glad."

before any further conversation could be made, the doorbell rang, revealing an elderly man. felix quickly excused himself much to hyunjin's confusion.

"is he okay?" hyunjin asks jeongin who was looking worriedly after the other at the boy's sudden mood change.

"i don't know... but we have a customer to help now."

hyunjin nodded, thinking about how nice it was that the boys took their job seriously no matter what it was.

"you should go now, hyung. the rain's cleared up. feel free to come back anytime." jeongin distractedly says and leaves hyunjin to look outside at the gloomy sky.

it had definitely stopped raining, but the clouds were still dark, looming over the area. a strange scenery compared to the blue skies around it.

hyunjin looks back at felix whose back was facing him. he wanted to say bye, but the other seemed to be busy. so he took his stuff and with a nod at jeongin, he left the convenience store, hoping to come back the next day and get to know more about ketchup boy.

it was only after hyunjin left that felix finally was able to unclench his fists. jeongin came up to him right after he rang up the old man. "are you okay, hyung?"

felix looks up at jeongin with slightly pained eyes, causing the younger boy to worry.

"i have to stay away from him innie."

the younger slowly nods, a little confused but understanding, as he looked at hyunjin who was already across the street, not knowing it would be a while until he saw felix again.

》* 。 • ˚ ˚ ˛ ˚ ˛ • 。* 。° 。* 。 • ˚《

* * *

_the sun had protected the rain three times, but the rain had failed to protect the sun._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> unless the rain didn't fail? we'll see next chapter ;-;
> 
> ─blu ♡
> 
> [twt](https://twitter.com/blupolaris)  
> [cc](https://curiouscat.me/blupolaris)

**Author's Note:**

> let me know your guys's thoughts by leaving kudos and/or dropping a comment/cc! 💜 ty


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